Treatment machine for containers

ABSTRACT

A treatment machine for containers includes a drive unit and a manipulation unit connected to the drive unit. The drive unit comprises a hollow bore, the hollow bore being configured to accommodate an accommodated structure, which is either a machine-specific subassembly or a line.

The invention relates to a treatment machine for containers, e.g.bottles, cans or the like, comprising at least one drive unit and amanipulation unit for the containers which is connected to the driveunit, wherein at least the drive unit is equipped with a hollow bore.

A treatment machine for containers means any machine which is suitablefor treating containers, that is to say for example for filling one ormore containers with a desired content in the context of a fillingmachine, for cleaning the containers in the context of a cleaningmachine, for applying labels as in the case of a labelling machine, etc.In the context of the generic teaching according to WO 2008/145363 A1,use is made of a special drive unit which is configured for example as areluctance motor. As a result, the aforementioned hollow bore isavailable in the interior of the drive unit, which hollow bore in thegeneric teaching is used for coupling to a drive shaft. The drive shaftas such serves for transmitting rotary movements of the drive unit tothe manipulation unit.

The manipulation unit may be for example a starwheel for receiving andstoring containers on the circumference thereof for the purpose offilling or cleaning said containers, applying labels thereto, etc. Ascrew shaft which is used to apply a screw cap to the top of a bottle tobe closed can also be referred to as a manipulation unit. A manipulationunit therefore encompasses any unit by means of which the container tobe processed is held, gripped, cleaned, printed or otherwisemanipulated.

The measures in the generic prior art according to WO 2008/145363 A1have proven to be successful in principle. However, there is still aneed to make the structure of known treatment machines smaller.Associated with this is the further need to satisfy hygiene requirementsto the greatest possible extent. In fact, the container treatmentmachines in question need to be cleaned regularly. This requires acompact exterior as well as smooth surfaces in order to counteract anybuild-up of dirt and mould. The previous approaches in the prior art arenot entirely convincing in this regard and leave room for furtherimprovement. This is where the invention comes into play.

The invention is based on the technical problem of further developingsuch a treatment machine for containers so that a particularly compactand easy-to-clean structure is provided.

In order to solve this technical problem, a generic treatment machinefor containers is characterised in the context of the invention in thatthe hollow bore is designed to accommodate machine-specificsubassemblies and/or machine-specific lines.

The invention therefore proceeds firstly from a special drive unit whichis equipped with said hollow bore. This is advantageously achieved witha special electric motor, namely a reluctance motor, which in thecontext of the invention usually forms the centrepiece of the driveunit. In actual fact, a reluctance motor is a special type of electricmotor in which the rotor is usually made from a soft-magnetic material,e.g. iron, and the stator contains the solenoid. Since the rotor is notequipped with permanent magnets and does not have current flowingthrough it, it can advantageously be provided with the described hollowbore. In contrast, the stator is designed to be stationary.

In this way, the configuration can be such that the hollow bore isformed in a rotating hollow shaft, which in turn is usually held in therotor so as to rotate therewith. As an alternative and according to oneparticularly advantageous embodiment, the hollow shaft is designed to bestationary and is connected to a likewise stationary drive housing via acarrier for example. Furthermore, the hollow bore is usually locatedcentrally in relation to the drive unit. The drive unit as such isusually rotationally symmetrical, wherein the hollow bore comes to liewith its centre on the axis of rotation. Moreover, the hollow bore isusually configured in such a way that it passes through both the driveunit and the manipulation unit. In principle, however, the hollow boremay also pass through only the drive unit and may open into themanipulation unit. Furthermore, the drive unit and/or the manipulationunit usually surrounds the hollow bore and, with it, the hollow shaft.

Due to the outlined design of the drive unit with the stator and rotor,the configuration is usually such that the rotor is connected to themanipulation unit (so as to rotate therewith). This can generally andusually be brought about in such a way that the hollow bore is formed inthe rotating hollow shaft, which in turn is respectively connected tothe manipulation unit and the rotor.

In this case, the rotor is usually located inside the stator or isenclosed by the stator. The rotor in turn encloses the hollow shaft,which defines the hollow bore in the interior. That is to say that thestator, the rotor and the hollow shaft defining the hollow bore areusually arranged concentrically in relation to the common axis ofrotation, relative to which the drive unit and, with it, the hollowshaft including the hollow bore enclosed by the hollow shaft arerotationally symmetrical.

As already explained, the hollow shaft is usually connected to themanipulation unit if the hollow shaft itself rotates. In this case, themanipulation unit is usually connected to the hollow shaft so as torotate therewith. As an alternative to this, however, the manipulationunit may also be connected directly to the rotor of the drive unit. Inboth cases, an intermediate transmission may be provided which works onthe manipulation unit.

In general, however, the drive unit acts directly on the manipulationunit. That is to say that the drive unit acts as a direct drive for themanipulation unit. This takes place only with the optional interpositionof the hollow shaft. In this case, the hollow shaft establishes thedesired connection between on the one hand the rotor of the drive unitand on the other hand the manipulation unit.

As already explained, treatment machines for containers need to becleaned regularly and themselves act as cleaning machines for thecontainers in question. In any case, this is a question of aneasy-to-clean surface and at the same time a compact structure. This isachieved with particular advantage in the case where the manipulationunit is sealed off relative to a drive housing which accommodates thedrive unit. Usually an internal sealing takes place. Such a sealingtakes account of the fact that the drive housing is mostly designed tobe stationary, while the manipulation unit carries out a movement,usually a rotary movement, relative to the stationary drive housing. Inorder to achieve rotational sealing at this point, the manipulation unitis usually rotatably mounted on a lid of the drive housing.

In this case, the configuration will usually be such that the lid isequipped with a raised edge. This raised edge on the lid of the drivehousing generally engages in an annular groove in the manipulation unit.This annular groove is consequently located in the interior of themanipulation unit, wherein a sealing is additionally ensured at thispoint. The sealing thus takes place in the interior of the manipulationunit relative to the raised edge of the lid of the drive housing. As aresult, a particularly effective sealing on the one hand of the drivehousing and on the other hand of the manipulation unit is provided.

In order to toughen up the mounting, the raised edge is advantageouslyequipped with a wear ring. Together with the raised edge on the lid ofthe drive housing, this wear ring generally substantially fills theannular groove. In this case, the wear ring generally faces towards awall of the annular groove and therefore absorbs primarily the frictionrelative to the stationary lid with the raised edge, said friction beingassociated with rotary movements of the manipulation unit. Furthermore,advantageously at least one seal, generally a radial shaft seal, isusually provided between the wear ring in question and the manipulationunit. In addition, the wear ring is sealed off by a further sealrelative to the raised edge on the lid of the drive housing.

As already explained, the hollow bore in the context of the invention isadvantageously used as an accommodation space or accommodation area formachine-specific subassemblies and/or machine-specific lines. Themachine-specific subassemblies are for example, without limitation,mechanical drive elements, sensors, etc. as necessary constituents ofthe machine. In fact there can be received in the hollow bore forexample mechanical drive elements such as cams, transmissions, gearwheelarrangements, etc., by means of which for example an additional movementcan be applied for example to bottles carried by the manipulation unit.In fact these mechanical drive elements are able for exampleadditionally to swivel, to rotate, to lift, etc. a bottle guided in acircle by the manipulation unit.

Furthermore, the machine-specific subassemblies advantageouslyaccommodated in the hollow bore are sensors, such as for example lightbarriers, rotational speed sensors, etc., by means of which theposition, rotational speed, etc. of the manipulation unit can bedetermined These may also include initiators, such as for exampleswitches, locators, etc., by means of which certain machine-specificactions can be controlled and started. For example, it is conceivable touse the rotation angle position of the manipulation unit to start and tostop a process of filling bottles guided in revolution by themanipulation unit.

In addition, further machine-specific subassemblies such as cantileverarms, flanges, additional motors, etc. can be introduced or placed intothe hollow bore in order to toughen up the treatment machine in questionfor its ultimately desired intended purpose.

Quite apart from this, the hollow bore may alternatively or additionallybe designed to accommodate machine-specific lines, that is to say lineswhich are required for operation of the machine.

These lines may be supply lines for media, electricity, data, etc. Inactual fact, an embodiment in which a supply line for media, for examplefilling media, cleaning media, etc., is passed through the hollow borehas proven to be particularly advantageous. In addition, however, datamay also be exchanged via the supply line in question, or the supplyline is suitable for supplying electrical power to drives located forexample on or at the manipulation unit.

All of these supply lines and/or machine-specific subassemblies canadvantageously be placed inside the hollow bore because the hollow boreor the space defined by the hollow bore is designed to be stationary andis generally located centrally in the drive housing. Furthermore, thehollow bore usually passes through the drive housing from the bottom tothe top. This is moreover not changed by the fact that the hollow borein question is formed in the rotating hollow shaft.

In any case, the hollow bore is particularly advantageously suitable foraccommodating the supply lines described above which are per sestationary, as well as for accommodating and storing machine-specificsubassemblies as described which are likewise usually stationary. As aresult, the hollow bore is in practice provided as an additionalaccommodation space inside the drive housing and is therefore providedin a protected manner. Machine-specific subassemblies as well as linesand supply lines located within the hollow bore are thus expressly notexposed to any dirt.

As a result, a particularly compact structure is provided and at thesame time a design with little indentation is achieved. This isparticularly important from the hygiene point of view and also takingaccount of the fact that such treatment machines must be cleanedfrequently. In other words, there is provided in the context of theinvention a special design of a treatment machine or transport machinefor containers which is characterised by a particularly compactstructure and has a special hygienic design. In any case, in practiceall of the lines previously guided outside the drive housing and all ofthe machine-specific subassemblies previously placed outside can inpractice be stored inside the drive housing and can therefore beprotected. As a result, the machine-specific subassemblies and lines inquestion are accommodated in a manner surrounded by the drive housing,which not only promotes a compact structure but also and in particularconsiderably facilitates the cleaning of the treatment machineconfigured in this way.

As a further advantage, mention must be made of the fact that anycleaning nozzles can be placed in a manner proceeding directly andcentrally from the hollow bore. This facilitates the attachment andpositioning of said nozzles because the bottles to be treated are alsomoved relative to the centre with the hollow bore present there. Thedrive unit in question can in this connection be used as a bottletransfer frame, by means of which for example the bottles can betransported or moved in revolution on starwheels. Moreover, as a resultof this configuration, further subassemblies such as heating containersfor example can be accommodated inside the drive housing. Such a heatingcontainer serves for example to heat for cleaning purposes water that isfed via the supply line. In addition, via suitably configured lines orsupply lines, it is also possible to feed gases for treating thebottles. Said gases include for example nitrogen which is filled intothe bottles in order to drive out oxygen located therein. Supply linesplaced in the hollow bore can also be used to feed carbon dioxide inorder inter alia to achieve a carbonation of beverages.

Quite apart from this, the compact design of the treatment machineaccording to the invention promotes the accessibility of themanipulation unit, which may be configured for example as a starwheel.In any case, there are no longer any protruding and externally attachedsupply lines or subassemblies to create any disruption at this point,since in the context of the invention these are accommodated by thecentrally provided hollow bore. The main advantages can be seen in this.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the hollow bore, as alreadydescribed, can be designed to accommodate a supply line for media to bebottled. The treatment machine is then generally a filling machine. Asan alternative or in addition, however, the hollow bore may also servefor accommodating one or more supply lines for cleaning fluid or generalcleaning media. In this case, the treatment machine is configured as acleaning machine. Finally, the invention also relates to a method foroperating a treatment machine for containers, as presented in thecontext of claim 15.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to adrawing which shows just one example of embodiment. In the drawing:

FIGS. 1 to 4 show different embodiments of the container treatmentmachine according to the invention,

FIG. 5 shows a detail from FIG. 2 or 3, and

FIG. 6 shows a further detail from FIG. 5.

The figures show a treatment machine for containers 1. In the example ofembodiment, the containers 1 to be treated are bottles, for example PETbottles 1. However, this is of course not limiting and serves merely byway of example. The treatment of the containers 1 that is to be carriedout primarily provides for a cleaning of the treatment machine and/orcontainers 1 in question. In this case, therefore, the machine can bereferred to in particular as a filling machine or as a so-called rinser.The invention is of course not limited to this, as already explained inthe introduction.

The treatment machine in question is equipped with at least one driveunit 2, 3 which can best be seen in FIG. 1 and is also found in acomparable manner in the other examples of embodiments. In addition tothe drive unit 2, 3, there is also a manipulation unit 4. Themanipulation unit 4 is connected to the drive unit 2, 3 or is acted upondirectly by the drive unit 2, 3, in the context of the example so as tobe set in rotation about an axis of rotation R.

The drive unit 2, 3 has a hollow bore 5. In actual fact, in the contextof the example of embodiment, the hollow bore 5 is formed in astationary hollow shaft 6. In principle, however, the hollow shaft 6 mayalso rotate. In the example of embodiment, and as seen in FIG. 1, thehollow shaft 6 is connected via a carrier 6 a to a drive housing 7 whichcompletely surrounds and accommodates the drive unit 2, 3. A rotor 3 ofthe drive unit 2, 3 is arranged on a rotating closure element 7 amounted at the top of the drive housing 7. The closure element 7 acarries the manipulation unit 4. Since the rotor 3 moves around the axisof rotation R relative to a stationary stator 2, this rotation ensuresthat the rotatably mounted closure element 7 a and with it the likewiserotating manipulation unit 4 are also driven by the rotor 3. In additionto the rotor 3, the drive unit 2, 3 also has the aforementioned stator 2which is connected to the drive housing 7 or is held by the latter.

As already described in the introduction, the stator 2 is designed to bestationary and in the example is connected to the drive housing 7. Thelatter is stationary like the stator 2. In contrast, the rotor 3 carriesout the described rotations around the axis of rotation R. Because themanipulation unit is connected to the rotor 3 (so as to rotatetherewith), it is likewise set in rotation together with the rotor 3. Itcan be seen that essentially the drive housing 7, the stator 2, therotor 3 and also the hollow shaft 6 are rotationally symmetrical, namelyin relation to the common axis of rotation R. Furthermore, the drivehousing 7, the stator 2, the rotor 3 and also the hollow shaft 6 areconcentric in relation to the axis of rotation R in question. At leastthe stator 2, the rotor 3 and the hollow shaft 6 are concentric inrelation to the axis of rotation R because the drive housing 7 is not orneed not necessarily be rotationally symmetrical.

Since the drive unit 2, 3 is configured as a reluctance motor, thehollow bore 5 can be defined centrally in the drive unit 2, 3 and thehollow shaft 6 can also be accommodated at this point. As a result, thehollow bore 5 according to the invention is provided inside the hollowshaft 6 in order to be able to accommodate machine-specificsubassemblies and/or lines 8. The machine-specific subassemblies insidethe hollow bore 5 may be mechanical drive elements, sensors, etc. In thecontext of the illustrated examples, only machine-specific lines orsupply lines 8 are accommodated in the hollow bore 5. In the context ofthe example, the respective supply line 8 is a supply line 8 for mediaand in this case particularly for cleaning media. In principle, however,lines in the form of supply lines for electricity, for data exchange,etc. may also be arranged inside the hollow bore 5. However, this is notshown in detail.

It can be seen that in the context of the illustrated examples thehollow bore 5 passes through both the drive unit 2, 3 and also themanipulation unit 4. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, themanipulation unit 4 is a so-called starwheel which is designed withholders 9 on the circumference for bottles 1 held therein. In thevariant shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of manipulation units 4 in the formof screw shafts are shown, for respectively applying screw caps tobottles 1 that are not explicitly shown.

The drive unit 2, 3 in each case encircles the hollow bore 5 and thusalso the hollow shaft 6 defining the hollow bore 5. Furthermore, thehollow bore 5 is configured centrally in relation to the rotationallysymmetrical drive unit 2, 3. As already explained, the rotor 3 is set inrotation by a revolving electromagnetic field generated by the stator 2.The rotor 3 can be coupled to the hollow shaft 6 so as to rotatetherewith, said hollow shaft likewise rotating in such a case. Ingeneral, however, the hollow shaft 6 is designed to be stationary andthe rotor 3 is connected to the manipulation unit 4, usually beingcoupled in such a way as to rotate with the latter. As a result, themanipulation unit 4 is acted upon directly by the drive unit 2, 3.

With reference to the enlarged views shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it is clearthat the manipulation unit 4 shown therein and configured as a starwheelhas special sealing relative to the drive housing 7. In actual fact, inthe variant shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 according to the enlarged view shownin FIGS. 5 and 6, the manipulation unit 4 is sealed off relative to thedrive housing 7 which accommodates the drive unit 2, 3, namely is sealedoff internally relative thereto. That is to say that any seals orsealing measures are provided inside the manipulation unit 4. For thispurpose, the manipulation unit 4 is rotatably mounted on a lid 7′ of thedrive housing 7. The lid 7′ is equipped with a raised edge 10. Theraised edge 10, like the lid 7′ and the drive housing 7 as a whole, isdesigned to be stationary. In contrast, the manipulation unit 4 carriesout rotational movements around the axis of rotation R, said rotationalmovements being brought about by the drive unit 2, 3.

The sealing of the manipulation unit 4 relative to the drive housing 7or the lid 7′ of the drive housing 7 which holds the manipulation unit 4is then achieved in that the lid 7′ engages with the raised edge 10 inan annular groove 11 in the manipulation unit 4. To this end, the raisededge 10 is equipped with a wear ring 12. The wear ring 12 externallysurrounds the raised edge 10 and almost completely fills an intermediatespace between the raised edge 10 and an inner face of the annular groove11. Rotations of the manipulation unit 4 around the axis of rotation Rare therefore primarily absorbed by the wear ring 12 in question.

An O-ring seal 13 in the edge 10 ensures that the wear ring 12 is sealedoff relative to the raised edge 10. To this end, the O-ring seal 13 isarranged in a manner sunk into the raised edge 10, approximatelycentrally in relation to the wear ring 12. A further seal 14 is providedopposite this O-ring seal 13. That is to say that the wear ring 12 isheld sealingly between the seal or O-ring seal 13 on the one hand andthe further seal 14 on the other hand. The seal 14 is a radial shaftseal which, like the O-ring 13, is on the whole rotationally symmetricalin relation to the axis of rotation R. The seal 14 is held in areceiving space which radially widens the annular groove 11.

In addition, a capillary barrier 15 is provided at the edge of themanipulation unit 4. In conjunction with said seals 13, 14, thecapillary barrier 15 ensures that no fluid, for example cleaning fluid,can enter the interior of the drive housing 7 via the intermediate spacebetween the lid 7′ and the underside of the manipulation unit 4.

In addition, the drive housing 7 is equipped with one or more centringrings 16 around the circumference. These circumferential centring rings16 ensure that the lid 7′ is received and held centrally in relation tothe axis of rotation R at the top of the otherwise pot-shaped drivehousing 7. An additional further seal 17 in the region of a top flangeof the drive housing 7 on the one hand and a flange of the lid 7′ on theother hand ensures the necessary sealing at this point.

In any case, the supply line 8 for cleaning media is accommodated in theexample inside the hollow bore 5 and can on the whole be configured in astationary manner. As a result, branches 19 from the supply line 8 inquestion can be formed without any problem, which branches can be usedto spray the bottles 1 and/or individual constituents of the treatmentmachine. This can be seen in particular in FIG. 1. Also visible in saidfigure is a rotary seal 20 which seals off the stationary branch 19 andalso the likewise stationary supply line 8 connected thereto relative tothe likewise stationary hollow shaft 6. A rotary seal 21 in simplifiedform can likewise be seen in FIG. 1. The closure element 7 a whichrotates together with the rotor 3 and the manipulation unit 4 is sealedoff from the drive housing 7 by means of the rotary seal 21. That is tosay that, in the context of the example of embodiment shown in FIG. 1,the manipulation unit 4 is placed directly onto the top of the drivehousing 7 or is mounted in the top of the drive housing 7 with theinterposition of the closure element 7 a. In this case a lid 7′ is notinterposed, as is the case in the context of the example shown in FIGS.2 and 3.

1-15. (canceled)
 16. An apparatus comprising a treatment machine forcontainers, said treatment machine comprising a drive unit and amanipulation unit connected to the drive unit, wherein the drive unitcomprises a hollow bore, the hollow bore being configured to accommodatea structure selected from the group consisting of a machine-specificsubassembly and a machine-specific line.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16,wherein the structure comprises a machine-specific subassembly thatcomprises a mechanical drive element.
 18. The apparatus of claim 16,wherein the structure comprises a machine-specific subassembly thatcomprises a sensor.
 19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the structurecomprises a machine-specific line used as a supply line.
 20. Theapparatus of claim 16, wherein the structure comprises amachine-specific line used as one of a supply line for media and asupply line for data.
 21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein thestructure comprises a machine-specific line used as a supply line forelectricity
 22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the hollow borepasses through both the drive unit and the manipulation unit.
 23. Theapparatus claim 16, wherein the drive unit surrounds the hollow bore.24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the manipulation unit surroundsthe hollow bore.
 25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the hollow boreis arranged centrally in relation to the drive unit, and wherein thedrive unit is a rotationally symmetrical drive unit.
 26. The apparatusof claim 16, wherein the drive unit comprises a stator and a rotor, andwherein the rotor is connected to the manipulation unit.
 27. Theapparatus of claim 16, wherein the hollow bore is formed in a hollowshaft.
 28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the hollow shaft carriesthe rotor.
 29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the manipulation unitis sealed off internally relative to a drive housing that accommodatesthe drive unit.
 30. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a lidassociated with the drive housing, wherein the manipulation unit isrotatably mounted on the lid.
 31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein thelid engages with a raised edge in an annular groove in the manipulationunit.
 32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the raised edge comprises awear ring that, together with the edge, substantially fills the annulargroove.
 33. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the hollow bore isconfigured to accommodate a supply line for media to be bottled in thecontainer.
 34. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the hollow bore isconfigured to accommodate a supply line for delivery of cleaning media.35. A method for operating a treatment machine for containers, saidtreatment machine comprising a drive unit and a manipulation unitconnected to the drive unit, the drive unit being equipped with a hollowbore, said method comprising accommodating, in the hollow bore, one of amachine-specific subassembly and a machine-specific line.